


The Comic Thief

by abp



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-19
Updated: 2012-11-19
Packaged: 2017-11-19 00:59:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/567251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abp/pseuds/abp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy notices some of his comics have gone missing and it seems only one person could have taken them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Comic Thief

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt from the lovely Ardatli. Sort-of. It's entirely possible that I worked from memory of the prompt resulting in a slight variation. Especially in it being set post-Presents but pre-CC (in my mind anyway--I guess it doesn't matter). But there's comics, raiding Tommy's room, and a multitude of bro-feels. So enjoy!

“Teddy!”

“What?” the blond curled around the door jamb, poking his head into Billy’s bedroom.

Billy was on the ground, head under his bed as he dug around—clearly looking for something. Teddy watched with amusement. And, okay, maybe he glanced a couple times at his boyfriend’s very nice backside but that was completely within his right.

“I’ve told you,” the dark-haired boy grumbled as he emerged from under the bed. “ _multiple times_ that you should let me know if you’re going to borrow my comics.”

Teddy’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. “I didn’t borrow any of your comics, Bee.”

“Really?” Billy frowned, getting to his feet and wiping his hands on his jeans. He sat on his bed and gestured to the box full of comics sitting there. “Because I’m missing _seven_ different comics. The last three Flash comics, two Wonder Woman, and a Green Lantern.”

The blond hummed his surprise and crossed the room to join Billy on the bed. “You’re sure? You didn’t just misplace them?”

Billy gave him a look. “These are my comics, Tee. I didn’t _misplace_ them. Someone took them.”

“Did you ask your brothers?”

“Yeah, I went to the brats first. They check out.”

Teddy looked thoughtful for a moment. “What about your _other_ brother?”

“Tommy?” Billy questioned with surprise. “You think he’d take ‘em?”

A shrug was Teddy’s response. “Well, it wasn’t me or your brothers and I doubt someone broke in just to steal seven comics. So if you’re sure someone took them, it must’ve been Tommy. Right?”

“I guess so,” he agreed in wonder. Tommy had never expressed any interest in comics—except to openly _mock_ them about still reading what he considered to be picture books for little kids. Honestly, Billy couldn’t imagine why Tommy would want to take them at all. “I’ll search his stuff,” he decided resolutely, getting to his feet.

Teddy’s eyebrows raised. “You sure that’s a good idea, Bee? Invading his privacy?”

Billy wavered. “Well. You share the room with him. It’s not like I’ll be digging around. I’ll just poke through his things a little while being in what is also my boyfriend’s bedroom.”

The look Teddy gave him was skeptical. “You do that. I’m going back to my game.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong _really_ ,” Billy insisted. Teddy merely shrugged and headed back to the living room. “It’s not like he’ll even know!” he called after him, then sighed.

But Billy had made up his mind; he was too curious to give up now. So he crossed the hall, two doors down, to what used to be the guest room but was now Teddy and Tommy’s bedroom. Tommy was out for a while, thanks to a stupid partner project for school, and Billy felt confident enough that he had time to snoop. He pushed the door open and quickly surveyed his twin’s side of the room.

It was neat and not very personalized, to be honest. Billy knew it had to do with Tommy’s, well, his issues. As much as he seemed to genuinely like the Kaplans and staying with him, he never seemed to want to get too close—and from the little Billy had managed to learn about his past, he didn’t blame Tommy at all.

Now where would he hide something?

Billy started with the regular spots—sock drawer, back of the closet, under the mattress. No luck. He frowned, thinking harder. Where would someone like Tommy hide something? An idea popped into Billy’s head—but no. That would be too strange. And yet… it was worth a shot. So Billy got down on his knees and stuck his head under Tommy’s bed. Sure enough, just like Billy, Tommy had a multitude of goods stashed there. He pushed through several novels— _Pride and Prejudice_? Really?—and a container full of candy Billy didn’t blame him for hiding (Teddy, while loveable, was not good with leaving other’s food alone). But where was the really good stuff?

For a moment, he hesitated. It was a little bit odd that Tommy would choose to hide things under his bed just like Billy, but not unexplainable. After all, it wasn’t that unique of a spot. But it would be unexplainably _eerie_ if he used the same technique for his really secret things. Billy felt around the underside of the bed frame, running his fingers over the edges specifically. His eyes widened with surprise when the fabric moved under his touch. He carefully pulled and revealed a hole.

“I can’t believe it,” he breathed in awe, wondering if it was some weird twin thing or Tommy had found his own secret stash hidden in the bottom of his bed frame. Either way, Billy had found what he was looking for. There was a folder secreted inside—and within that folder were all seven comics he had been looking for. “Perfect,” he murmured. Well, aside from still not knowing why Tommy had taken them in the first place. Some weird revenge? Just for the fun of stealing? Or could he be a secret geek?

Nor did he know what to do at this point. To take the comics back or confront Tommy would be admitting to snooping through his stuff. But to let it go would mean not getting his comics back. As it was, fate made the decision for him in the form of Tommy entering the room.

“What the hell are doing?” he admonished, freezing up in the doorway when he noticed Billy crouched on the floor with the comics in his hands. “Did you just—“

“Why did you take my comics?” Billy interrupted impulsively.

Tommy looked shocked, but also a little embarrassed. The look was fleeting as his features quickly turned defensive and angry. “Why were you going through my stuff?”

Billy hesitated. “That’s what brothers do,” he supplied feebly. Well, it was true. His little brothers poked around in his room as much as they could—and well, Tommy apparently had as well.

“We’re not really brothers,” Tommy answered gruffly, arms crossed.

The dark-haired twin frowned. “Yeah, we are,” he insisted.

“Whatever,” Tommy scoffed. “I’m out of here.”

“Wait, no! _I don’t want you to leave,_ ” he panicked and jumped to his feet. He found his magic swirling and wrapping around Tommy’s body like a snake.

And that was at least partially the wrong thing to do. The other boy struggled against the bonds, face turning angry. “Let me go,” he growled.

“I’m sorry,” Billy insisted. “Didn’t mean to do that, actually. But you would have run otherwise—so I guess it worked out?” Tommy looked furious. “Listen, okay, I shouldn’t have snooped. But I figured you took my comics and I couldn’t help it. And why did you take them? You always make fun of me and Teddy for reading them.” When the older twin didn’t look like he was going to cooperate, Billy added, “I’m not letting you go until we talk this out, so you might as well say something.”

“I don’t think they’re terrible, okay. So I borrowed some. Are you happy?” Tommy graced him with another angry look, but Billy sensed the vulnerability behind his anger.

He frowned. “Why didn’t you just tell us? I’d _let_ you borrow them.”

“Dunno,” Tommy shrugged as much as he could with the magic still holding him in place. He looked uncomfortable talking about it, so Billy decided to let it drop. “Will you let me go already, Blue Fairy?”

Billy did. “Sorry about that,” he added again, sheepish. “But really, just ask next time you want to borrow my comics.”

Tommy didn’t answer, so Billy went on.

“Did you finish these? I can lend you the next ones. The Wonder Woman books are _great_. I keep telling Kate if she ever wants to read comics she should pick it up because it’s all about a fierce lady hero,” he babbled. Tommy looked at least a little amused.

“Whatever,” he supplied again, shrugging.

Billy scoffed. “Now that I know you’re a secret geek, you don’t have to feign disinterest.”

“I’m not a geek,” Tommy argued, but he looked happier than before.

So Billy laughed at him. “Yeah, you really are. You read comics—that means you’re a geek. But there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“At least I’m not as much as a geek as _you_ are.”

“Ooh, good comeback,” Billy taunted, moving across the room. “Did you get that one from the brats?”

Tommy resorted to shoving him lightly.

Billy laughed again, shoving him back. “Come on, you can look at my comics and pick out which ones you want to read. And next Wednesday, you should come to the comic store with us,” he added, leading his twin across the hall. He was somewhat surprised to find Tommy follow him.

“Why?”

“What?” Billy gave him a confused look.

“Why would you want me to come?” Tommy elaborated. “Why do you want me around at all? All I ever do is make fun of you guys.”

And that was what it was about. Tommy didn’t think they liked him—or maybe didn’t think he deserved to be liked? Probably resulting from his situation with his parents—and Billy inwardly cursed being a psychologist’s son; it always lead to analyzing people like this.

He shrugged his answer. “That’s what brothers do. Torture each other half the time.”

Tommy seemed interested. “And the other half of the time?”

“We like each other and get along.” Billy insisted.

“And that’s what we’re doing now?” Tommy continued, skeptic.

Billy nodded. “I vote we get along with comics, video games, and pizza.”

The other boy hesitated momentarily. His tension melted away, though, and he gave in. “Alright.”

“Cool,” Billy smiled and was pleased to see a mirror image on Tommy’s face.

“You’re still a dork though,” he added, punching Billy’s shoulder in what Billy would term affection.

He laughed in reply. “Yeah, I know.”


End file.
